What else to look forward to at debut edition of Alboe by the Beach

Three-day beach festival in Varkala – scheduled from February 9 to 11 – will offer attendees beach and water activities like jet ski, skimboarding, beach buggy rides alongside a spread of local delicacies from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with internationally renowned chef Suresh Pillai also curating a special festival menu

Pineapple Express to close the festival with an exclusive performance featuring The Bangalore Strings & Brass Ensemble

Tickets for the festival are available here

Contemporary music festival Alboe by the Beach is India’s biggest beach music festival and is scheduled to be held on the sandy beach of Varkala from February 9 to 11. Tickets for the three-day beach festival are priced at upwards of Rs 1599 for a daily pass and Rs 3149 for the whole weekend, and are available here.

Apart from the obvious attraction of surf and sand – Varkala is India’s premier surfing destination – Alboe by the Beach has announced a power-packed line-up that includes South India’s hottest hip-hop acts like Brodha V, Arivu, Baby Jean and Paal Dabba, multilingual singer-songwriter Taba Chake, Chennai-quartet indie rock band The F16s, and rising stars that have set the music landscape abuzz with their talent and sound.

In an exciting festival exclusive, Bangalore-based prog-fusion band Pineapple Express will close out day three with a never-seen before performance that includes a 16-piece symphony orchestra and some of the best instrumentalists from the country. The Pineapple Express Grand Symphony, featuring The Bangalore Strings & Brass Ensemble, will see the band rearranging 10 of their original songs along with the ensemble for a unique 70 minute-set.

But it’s not just music that the three-day festival has to offer attendees.

India’s biggest beach festival will include multiple, Instagram-friendly art installations designed by local artists spread out across the stretch of Aaliyirakkam Beach as well as projection mapping on the cliffs overlooking the beach. There will also be a larger than life installation of the festival mascot – the elephant – which is bound to be a crowd-pulling attraction on the festival grounds.

While swimming in open waters isn’t allowed during the festival weekend, attendees will have an option to participate in jet ski rides and pretend race in beach buggies, as well as learn how to skimboard. All these activities are free for VIP ticket holders. In addition to this, there will be a chance for racing enthusiasts to showcase their skills on the RC track, and a treasure hunt for those curious and adventurous enough.

The highlight of any festival is always the food and the first edition of Alboe by the Beach doesn’t disappoint on that front. The weekend menu will highlight local delicacies from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu alongside international cuisines. The festival will also feature an extensively curated flea market – with over 50 brands – focusing on regional and indigenous art and handicrafts, and festival merch.

Alboe by the Beach has also announced a post-party day, February 12, for locals which will include other activities like movie screenings, beach activities like jet ski, beach buggy rides and skimboarding and the flea market, but there will be no music performances. VIP ticket holders for the festival weekend will get free access on these four days while general admission ticket holders will get a discount. Tickets for the extended after-party start at Rs 499.